New Zealand's <a href="https://www.wionews.com/sports/slvsnz-trent-boult-tim-southee-rattle-sri-lanka-in-rain-hit-test-245147">Trent Boult</a> remains a doubt for the first Test against Australia due to a side injury but captain Kane Williamson says he will give the pace spearhead every chance to prove his fitness before the match begins in Perth on Thursday.

The tourists are sweating on the fitness of their ace quick with the <a href="https://www.wionews.com/sports/virat-kohli-open-to-pink-ball-test-in-australia-with-proper-planning-264249">pink ball</a> used in the inaugural day-nighter at <a href="https://www.wionews.com/sports/world-class-perth-stadium-gets-icc-green-light-29196https://www.wionews.com/sports/world-class-perth-stadium-gets-icc-green-light-29196">Perth Stadium</a> set to suit Boult’s penchant for swing.

Williamson said the team’s training session late on Wednesday would likely determine the availability of Boult, who had managed to get through training on Tuesday.

"We’re going to have another look at (Boult) today before deciding anything tomorrow,” he told reporters on Wednesday.

“I think you look at it as a long-term decision in terms of this whole series. He has tracked really nicely and felt really good yesterday.”

Williamson was more confident in the injury status of veteran batsman <a href="https://www.wionews.com/sports/ross-taylor-fit-to-play-in-first-test-against-england-kane-williamson-36590">Ross Taylor</a> (thumb) and all-rounder <a href="https://www.wionews.com/sports/de-grandhomme-seals-black-caps-win-over-pakistan-29742">Colin de Grandhomme</a> (abdominal muscle).

“Ross is fine, just a bit of a knock but nothing major. Colin is tracking nicely,” he said.

Uncapped fast bowler Lockie Ferguson could make his test debut on an expected fast, bouncy Perth pitch, which is expected to deteriorate with fierce heat forecast for most of the match.

“It’s exciting we’ve got Lockie in our squad to consider him,” Williamson said. “It’s exciting to have a guy in our camp who can bowl at that speed.”

Both teams are to wear black armbands as a tribute to the victims of New Zealand’s <a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/100-people-near-new-zealand-volcano-when-it-erupted-pm-jacinda-ardern-267054">White Island volcano</a> eruption and Williamson said the news had been a shock.

"It’s very hard to comprehend. When a tragedy like this happens it’s such a shock,” he added.

New Zealand's Trent Boult remains a doubt for the first Test against Australia due to a side injury but captain Kane Williamson says he will give the pace spearhead every chance to prove his fitness before the match begins in Perth on Thursday.

New Zealand's Trent Boult remains a doubt for the first Test against Australia due to a side injury but captain Kane Williamson says he will give the pace spearhead every chance to prove his fitness before the match begins in Perth on Thursday. The tourists are sweating on the fitness of their ace quick with the pink ball used in the inaugural day-nighter at Perth Stadium set to suit Boult’s penchant for swing. Williamson said the team’s training session late on Wednesday would likely determine the availability of Boult, who had managed to get through training on Tuesday. "We’re going to have another look at (Boult) today before deciding anything tomorrow,” he told reporters on Wednesday. “I think you look at it as a long-term decision in terms of this whole series. He has tracked really nicely and felt really good yesterday.” Williamson was more confident in the injury status of veteran batsman Ross Taylor (thumb) and all-rounder Colin de Grandhomme (abdominal muscle). “Ross is fine, just a bit of a knock but nothing major. Colin is tracking nicely,” he said. Uncapped fast bowler Lockie Ferguson could make his test debut on an expected fast, bouncy Perth pitch, which is expected to deteriorate with fierce heat forecast for most of the match. “It’s exciting we’ve got Lockie in our squad to consider him,” Williamson said. “It’s exciting to have a guy in our camp who can bowl at that speed.” Both teams are to wear black armbands as a tribute to the victims of New Zealand’s White Island volcano eruption and Williamson said the news had been a shock. "It’s very hard to comprehend. When a tragedy like this happens it’s such a shock,” he added.

Cricket: New Zealand spearhead Boult a doubt for first Test

India and Australia will play their second Test match of a four-match series at the brand new in Perth's Optus Stadium, which has a drop-in pitch.&nbsp;

Perth Stadium, which has a sitting capacity of 60,000, has succeeded the WACA as the city's premier venue for internationals.&nbsp;

Also Read: <a href="http://www.wionews.com/sports/ind-vs-aus-2nd-test-day-1-india-vs-australia-183864">All actions from India vs Australia second Test</a>

A drop-in pitch is a pitch that is prepared away from the ground or venue in which it is used, and "dropped" into place for a match to take place.&nbsp;

This allows multi-purpose venues to host other sports and events with more versatility than a dedicated cricket ground would allow.&nbsp;

Pitch's curator Brett Sipthorpe is trying to produce the 'bounciest' pitch he can and that could very well work in India's favour.&nbsp;

Weighing around 30 tons, the depth of a drop-in pitch is 20-cm. It is maintained and prepared in a steel frame.

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Perth - We are here! 😎👍🏻 <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/TeamIndia?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#TeamIndia</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/AUSvIND?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#AUSvIND</a> <a href="https://t.co/AHeGmgKVVQ">pic.twitter.com/AHeGmgKVVQ</a>
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Not everyone is a drop-in fan. Purists warn such pitches -- which some grounds now favour so they can host multiple sports -- remove the characteristics of different fields that made matches more unpredictable, and therefore exciting.

"With the drop-in pitch, there's more of the sameness about things from city to city, and place to place," Australian cricket historian Bernard Whimpress told AFP.

"Which makes me sort of think, why don't they just forget about the drop-in pitch and put in artificial turf or something."

India and Australia will play their second Test match of a four-match series at the brand new in Perth's Optus Stadium, which has a drop-in pitch. Perth Stadium, which has a sitting capacity of 60,000, has succeeded the WACA as the city's premier venue for internationals.

India and Australia will play their second Test match of a four-match series at the brand new in Perth's Optus Stadium, which has a drop-in pitch. Perth Stadium, which has a sitting capacity of 60,000, has succeeded the WACA as the city's premier venue for internationals. Also Read: All actions from India vs Australia second Test A drop-in pitch is a pitch that is prepared away from the ground or venue in which it is used, and "dropped" into place for a match to take place. This allows multi-purpose venues to host other sports and events with more versatility than a dedicated cricket ground would allow. Pitch's curator Brett Sipthorpe is trying to produce the 'bounciest' pitch he can and that could very well work in India's favour. Weighing around 30 tons, the depth of a drop-in pitch is 20-cm. It is maintained and prepared in a steel frame. Perth - We are here! 😎👍🏻 #TeamIndia #AUSvIND pic.twitter.com/AHeGmgKVVQ — BCCI (@BCCI) December 13, 2018 × Not everyone is a drop-in fan. Purists warn such pitches -- which some grounds now favour so they can host multiple sports -- remove the characteristics of different fields that made matches more unpredictable, and therefore exciting. "With the drop-in pitch, there's more of the sameness about things from city to city, and place to place," Australian cricket historian Bernard Whimpress told AFP. "Which makes me sort of think, why don't they just forget about the drop-in pitch and put in artificial turf or something."

India vs Australia, 2nd Test: All you need to know about Perth's drop-in pitch

Virat Kohli-led team India will tour Australia from November 2018 to January 2019 to play four Tests, three One-Day Internationals (ODIs) and three Twenty20 International (T20I) matches.

Mahendra Singh Dhoni was dropped from India's Twenty20 squad for this crucial away assignment.

At his&nbsp;place,&nbsp;the two keepers in the two T20 squads announced are Rishabh Pant and Dinesh Karthik.

India will play a three-match Twenty20 series before the first Test starts in Adelaide on December 6 with Perth, Melbourne and Sydney hosting the remainder of the Tests before a three-match one-day international series in January.

Experts and former players are seeing this tour as India's best bet to defeat Australia in Tests as the hosts will be without their two key batsman, Steve Smith and David Warner, who are facing a year-long ban for their involvement in ball tampering scandal in South Africa.&nbsp;

Here is the complete&nbsp;schedule:&nbsp;

(All timings in IST)

Australia vs India 
Twenty20 Internationals 
1st T20I | Nov 21, Wed | The Gabba, Brisbane | 1:20 PM

2nd T20I | Nov 23, Fri | Melbourne Cricket Ground, Melbourne | 1:20 PM

3rd T20I | Nov 25, Sun | Sydney Cricket Ground, Sydney | 1:20 PM

<hr />
<hr />
Australia vs India 
Test matches 
1st Test | Dec 06, Thu - Dec 10, Mon | Adelaide Oval, Adelaide | 5:30 AM

2nd Test | Dec 14, Fri - Dec 18, Tue | Perth Stadium, Perth | 7:50 AM

3rd Test | Dec 26, Wed - Dec 30, Sun | Melbourne Cricket Ground, Melbourne | 5:00 AM (Dec 26)

4th Test | Jan 03, Thu - Jan 07, Mon | Sydney Cricket Ground, Sydney | 5:00 AM (Jan 03)

<hr />
<hr />
Australia vs India 
One-Day Internationals 
1st ODI | Jan 12, Sat | Sydney Cricket Ground, Sydney | 8:50 AM

2nd ODI | Jan 15, Tue | Adelaide Oval, Adelaide | 8:50 AM

3rd ODI | Jan 18, Fri | Melbourne Cricket Ground, Melbourne | 8:50 AM

<hr />
<hr />
India's squad:

For&nbsp;Test series: Virat Kohli (C), M Vijay, KL Rahul, Prithvi Shaw, Cheteshwar Pujara, Ajinkya Rahane, Hanuma Vihari, Rohit Sharma, Rishabh Pant, Parthiv Patel, R Ashwin, Ravindra Jadeja, Kuldeep Yadav, Mohammed Shami, Ishant, Umesh Yadav, Jasprit Bumrah, Bhuvneshwar Kumar.

For&nbsp;T20I series: Virat Kohli (C), Rohit Sharma (vc), Shikhar Dhawan, KL Rahul, Shreyas Iyer, Manish Pandey, Dinesh Karthik, Rishabh Pant (wk), Kuldeep Yadav, Yuzvendra Chahal, Washington Sundar, Krunal Pandya, Bhuvneshwar Kumar, Jasprit Bumrah, Umesh Yadav, Khaleel Ahmed.&nbsp;

Australia's&nbsp;squad:

For&nbsp;T20I series: Aaron Finch(c), Alex Carey, Ashton Agar, Jason Behrendorff, Nathan Coulter-Nile, Chris Lynn, Glenn Maxwell, Ben McDermott, D Arcy Short, Billy Stanlake, Marcus Stoinis, Andrew Tye, Adam Zampa.

<hr />
<hr />
&nbsp;

Virat Kohli-led team India will tour Australia from November 2018 to January 2019 to play four Tests, three One-Day Internationals (ODIs) and three Twenty20 International (T20I) matches.

Virat Kohli-led team India will tour Australia from November 2018 to January 2019 to play four Tests, three One-Day Internationals (ODIs) and three Twenty20 International (T20I) matches. Mahendra Singh Dhoni was dropped from India's Twenty20 squad for this crucial away assignment. At his place, the two keepers in the two T20 squads announced are Rishabh Pant and Dinesh Karthik. India will play a three-match Twenty20 series before the first Test starts in Adelaide on December 6 with Perth, Melbourne and Sydney hosting the remainder of the Tests before a three-match one-day international series in January. Experts and former players are seeing this tour as India's best bet to defeat Australia in Tests as the hosts will be without their two key batsman, Steve Smith and David Warner, who are facing a year-long ban for their involvement in ball tampering scandal in South Africa. Here is the complete schedule: (All timings in IST) Australia vs India Twenty20 Internationals 1st T20I | Nov 21, Wed | The Gabba, Brisbane | 1:20 PM 2nd T20I | Nov 23, Fri | Melbourne Cricket Ground, Melbourne | 1:20 PM 3rd T20I | Nov 25, Sun | Sydney Cricket Ground, Sydney | 1:20 PM Australia vs India Test matches 1st Test | Dec 06, Thu - Dec 10, Mon | Adelaide Oval, Adelaide | 5:30 AM 2nd Test | Dec 14, Fri - Dec 18, Tue | Perth Stadium, Perth | 7:50 AM 3rd Test | Dec 26, Wed - Dec 30, Sun | Melbourne Cricket Ground, Melbourne | 5:00 AM (Dec 26) 4th Test | Jan 03, Thu - Jan 07, Mon | Sydney Cricket Ground, Sydney | 5:00 AM (Jan 03) Australia vs India One-Day Internationals 1st ODI | Jan 12, Sat | Sydney Cricket Ground, Sydney | 8:50 AM 2nd ODI | Jan 15, Tue | Adelaide Oval, Adelaide | 8:50 AM 3rd ODI | Jan 18, Fri | Melbourne Cricket Ground, Melbourne | 8:50 AM India's squad: For Test series: Virat Kohli (C), M Vijay, KL Rahul, Prithvi Shaw, Cheteshwar Pujara, Ajinkya Rahane, Hanuma Vihari, Rohit Sharma, Rishabh Pant, Parthiv Patel, R Ashwin, Ravindra Jadeja, Kuldeep Yadav, Mohammed Shami, Ishant, Umesh Yadav, Jasprit Bumrah, Bhuvneshwar Kumar. For T20I series: Virat Kohli (C), Rohit Sharma (vc), Shikhar Dhawan, KL Rahul, Shreyas Iyer, Manish Pandey, Dinesh Karthik, Rishabh Pant (wk), Kuldeep Yadav, Yuzvendra Chahal, Washington Sundar, Krunal Pandya, Bhuvneshwar Kumar, Jasprit Bumrah, Umesh Yadav, Khaleel Ahmed. Australia's squad: For T20I series: Aaron Finch(c), Alex Carey, Ashton Agar, Jason Behrendorff, Nathan Coulter-Nile, Chris Lynn, Glenn Maxwell, Ben McDermott, D Arcy Short, Billy Stanlake, Marcus Stoinis, Andrew Tye, Adam Zampa.

India vs Australia 2018-19: Schedule, Squad, Time and Venue

The International Cricket Council on Thursday approved the new Perth Stadium to host all international formats of all the game, formally lowering the curtain on the city&#39;s venerable WACA Ground.

The new 60,000-capacity stadium will host a sold-out one-day international against England on January 28 in the first sporting event held at the state-of-the-art arena.

ICC match referee Richie Richardson submitted a gushing report after inspecting the venue.

&quot;This is by far the most impressive and well laid-out stadium I have ever visited,&quot; he said.

&quot;The comprehensive amenities, along with the quality and functionality of the facility, surpasses the required standard to host any international cricket match.&quot;

The West Indies great added that it was &quot;a wonderful, refreshing, world-class stadium, and I have no hesitation in recommending that the venue is approved for staging all three formats of international cricket&quot;.

The WACA, a Test venue since 1970, was once touted as the world&#39;s fastest pitch, making it the stuff of nightmares for many visiting teams.

Last month, the WACA staged its 44th and final Test when Australia beat England by an innings and 41 runs to reclaim the Ashes urn.

The new 60,000-capacity stadium will host a sold-out one-day international against England on January 28 in the first sporting event held at the state-of-the-art arena.

The International Cricket Council on Thursday approved the new Perth Stadium to host all international formats of all the game, formally lowering the curtain on the city's venerable WACA Ground. The new 60,000-capacity stadium will host a sold-out one-day international against England on January 28 in the first sporting event held at the state-of-the-art arena. ICC match referee Richie Richardson submitted a gushing report after inspecting the venue. "This is by far the most impressive and well laid-out stadium I have ever visited," he said. "The comprehensive amenities, along with the quality and functionality of the facility, surpasses the required standard to host any international cricket match." The West Indies great added that it was "a wonderful, refreshing, world-class stadium, and I have no hesitation in recommending that the venue is approved for staging all three formats of international cricket". The WACA, a Test venue since 1970, was once touted as the world's fastest pitch, making it the stuff of nightmares for many visiting teams. Last month, the WACA staged its 44th and final Test when Australia beat England by an innings and 41 runs to reclaim the Ashes urn.

'World-class' Perth stadium gets ICC green light

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Cricket: New Zealand spearhead Boult a doubt for first Test

India vs Australia, 2nd Test: All you need to know about Perth's drop-in pitch

India vs Australia 2018-19: Schedule, Squad, Time and Venue

'World-class' Perth stadium gets ICC green light

'World-class' Perth stadium gets ICC green light